Thread: Hart Steel razor

Originally Posted by Hart

My experience as well. It was my first straight and I thought the price was what you needed to pay for quality. I like the clean minimalist appearance and we share a name . Sadly, it came "unready to shave" despite the manufacturers claims to the contrary. My honing skills are poor and it has yet to live up to its potential.

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My HARTSTEEL travelled from the factory to the vendor and then to me, all the while never having touched the surface of any stone. No bevel set, nothing. I had to hone it myself for which Hart sent me a $20 credit. The O1 Tool Steel honed beautifully and shaved great but it was disappointing to find the new edge in that neglected condition.

Never owned one.never will.What I do not understand is why,with all the neg. feedback they garner do people keep paying big bux for them.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Never owned one.never will.What I do not understand is why,with all the neg. feedback they garner do people keep paying big bux for them.

I didn't see much negative feedback out there when I bought my 6/8 Hart spike two or three years ago, so I really didn't think twice about getting it. I'm satisfied with mine. It keeps a great edge, and it's one of my best shavers. It came shave ready from Classic Shaving.

Now, I guess that they are having problems with quality control. And from what I've seen in the last few posts, I assume that temperature control during the hardening and tempering processes are a problem, if the steel is crumbling. Of course, if they're sending out razors without ever being put to a stone, as some have said above, it would be kind of hard for them to tell what quality of steel they are producing now.

Have people been reporting their issues to Hart so that they can review their production controls? They seem like they would like to be known for producing great razors, not junk. Hopefully they would respond to the reports by improving their controls.

Many people like them, and there are hype-driven sites where they get actively marketed. Plus they are pretty much the only currently mass-produced razor with such a heavy grind.
The steel is very solid O1 - comparatively easy to get heat treated correctly, so it's easy to make good razor out of it.
You can pay a little more and get a custom razor, but most people would rather save a little bit and buy a mass-produced well marketed product instead of a truly artisanal one.

Most custom makers have enough self-respect to not attempt cashing on cheesy 'made in america' crap - they'd rather establish their name based on the quality and craftsmanship, not on false patriotism.

In short, hype and aggressive marketing are big money makers in this country and can elevate otherwise ordinary products to huge commercial success, while superior products in the same price range struggle to gain traction.

Originally Posted by MinATX

Have people been reporting their issues to Hart so that they can review their production controls? They seem like they would like to be known for producing great razors, not junk. Hopefully they would respond to the reports by improving their controls.

The project manger was Tim Zowada. He himself posted that they were monitoring the feedback on these razors, but had no interest in reaching out to the customers who posted about problems or addressing those issues. So, while I have great opinion of him as a razor maker, I have zero interest in any project where his role is managing/consulting/quality control.
I have no doubt that they want to produce great product, but over the years I've reached the conclusion that he/they prioritize the product and their own time instead of the customer. It is a matter of choice, but so is my choice about how to spend my money.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Never owned one.never will.What I do not understand is why,with all the neg. feedback they garner do people keep paying big bux for them.

The failure rate is a tiny percentage.

Gugi,

I appreciate your opinion, and agree with it. In the early stages, there was a lot of communication with customers that had less than positive experiences. It just didn't make it to the forums.

As for the current situation, I have no idea. I parted ways with Hart over two years ago. So, if "ignorance is bliss", I'm as happy as can be...

Originally Posted by gugi

The project manger was Tim Zowada. He himself posted that they were monitoring the feedback on these razors, but had no interest in reaching out to the customers who posted about problems or addressing those issues. So, while I have great opinion of him as a razor maker, I have zero interest in any project where his role is managing/consulting/quality control.
I have no doubt that they want to produce great product, but over the years I've reached the conclusion that he/they prioritize the product and their own time instead of the customer. It is a matter of choice, but so is my choice about how to spend my money.

I really dislike the modern boker and dovo and so on. They are super thin and light weight. Hold great edges but they pale in comparison to a good vintage sheffield or american blade. For a thick solid blade I think Hart is worth the price of admission.

Originally Posted by robert2286

I really like Hart Steel blades and i will love to own a made in USA razor but i will never pay that much for those razors... Especially If i can buy a TI, Boker, Dovo and Ralf Aust for 100-200$ and get recognized quality ... I understand that it is a business and the whole point is for them to make a profit but still... Way too expensive in my opinion! No real gold on them or anything... Lol sorry! I really like your razor enjoy it!

Most of the Modern offerings have been light weight, small in the shank - a disaster for large hands. I used to think I liked heavy grind razors (I do), but I realized that simply having some heft to it makes the difference for me. I have a few light ones but they don't get that much use.

Originally Posted by dexter90723

I really dislike the modern boker and dovo and so on. They are super thin and light weight.

They aren't lighter than the same vintage models, though the vintage are superior in shaving. There are thousands if not tens of thousands vintage full hollow models, and while the majority have the same proportions and weight as the current standard razors, there are many that are different, i.e. heavier shanks, heavier spines, longer blades, etc.

However, it is incorrect to attribute the difference between say a current Dovo 1516 and one made in the Fritz Bracht era to differences in geometry because such simply do not exist.